Check-row corn-planter



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. R. AYERS.

CHECK ROW CORN PLANTER. No. 472,246. 'Patente-dApr. 5, 1892.

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(No Model.) R. 2Sheets-Sheet 2..

CHECK ROW CORN PLANTBR. No. 472.246.: Patented Apr. 5, 1892.

dilornW-s ATENT FFICE..

JAMES R. AYERS, OF PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA.

CH ECK-ROW CORN-PLANTER.

PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 472,246, dated April 5,1892.

Application filed November 30,1891. Serial No. 413,586. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES R. AYERS, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Petersburg, in the county of Dinwiddie and State ofVirginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Check-RowCorn- Planters and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part ofthis specification.

My invention relates to check-row cornplanters, the object being toprovide an improved construction of the same, whereby superioradvantages. are obtained with respect to simplicity both in constructionand operation.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination ofparts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of a corn-planterconstructed in accordance with my invention. side elevation of the same.Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the seed-dropping-and marker-actuatingdevices. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the seed-dropping spout. Fig. 5is a detail view of the markers. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional viewshowing the seed-plate and the lever for clearing cavities of impactedcorn.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willnow proceed to describe the same in detail, referring to the saiddrawings, in which the frame of the machine is shown as beingconstructed in two sections hinged together. The front section consistsof the bars 1 and cross-bars 2, while the rear section consists of bars3 and cross bar 4.. The said front section carries the seed-boxes 5 5oneon each sideand also the furrow-opening plows 6 6, seed-dropping spouts7 7, and seed-coverers 8 8. These seedboxes may be of any ordinaryconstruction, and the bottom of each is provided with an aperture 9,which registers with the upper end of the seed-spout.

Located in the hoppers and journaled to the bottom thereof is afeed-wheel 10, having its periphery provided with cogs or teeth 12, andalso having a series of apertures 13, so

Fig. 2 is a arranged as to successively register with the aperture 9 asthe wheel is rotated.

The seed-dropping spouts 7 7consist of inclined spouts secured at theirupper ends to the hoppers or the frame, while their lower or deliveryends are in line with the seat on which the person operating the feedingmechanism sits. These spouts are open upon their upper or rear sides,and in each is pivoted about midway of its length a flirt-valve orseed-dropper consisting of a lever 14, having a plate 15 at its lowerend, which closes the delivery end of the spout. The upper end of thislever is provided with an angular arm 16, which is adapted to be engagedby the teeth of the feed-wheel as it is rotated, so as I to actuate thesaid plate 15, thereby uncovering the delivery end of the spout andpermit the seed which has been fed from the hopper to be deposited inthe furrow formed by the plow.

The reference-numeral 17 denotes the seat for the drop-man or personactuating the seedfeeding mechanism, and which, as before stated, is inline with the delivery end of the spouts 7, so that he can readily seewhen the said spout reaches the proper point and actuates the saiddevices to drop and feed the seed. At a point within convenient reach ofsaid operator is a vertical lever 18, the lower end of which isconnected with a transverse reciprocating rod 19, extending across themachine. This rod 19 is connected with longitudinal rods or bars 19 bymeans of pivoted links 20. The forward ends of these bars 19 areprovided with pivoted pawls 21, which are adapted to slide over the cogs12 of the feed-wheels 10 in their forward movement, and to engagetherewith on the return movement, which will move each of said wheelsthe extent of one tooth or cog and cause one of the apertures 13,containing a grain of corn, to register with the aperture 9, and thegrain to drop down the spout 7 and be caught by the plate 15 at thedelivery end thereof. Upon the next stroke of the rods 19 the feedwheelswill be again moved to the extent of a cog or tooth, and the operationwill be repeated. At the same time, however, the levers 14- will beactuated by the cogs of the feed-wheel, so that the grain previouslydeposited in the spouts will be dropped in the IOC furrows and the plate15 then returned back to its former position to intercept and hold thenext grain fed from the hopper until the feedingand dropping mechanismis again actuated. It will be seen that by means of the links 20 eachstroke of rod 19 causes two strokes of bars 19.

I have also provided improved marking and pressing devices, which areconstructed as follows: As seen in Fig. 2, the driving-wheels 22, whichare fixed to the axles 23, journaled in the longitudinal bars of therear frame-section, are not in line with the seedspouts, and do nottherefore press the earth down upon the grain, as in some forms ofcorn-planters. In the present instance the axles are extended outside ofthe wheels, and upon the same are mounted collars 2&, provided withthree (more or less) radial pressing and marking arms 25 of the same orabout the same radius as the wheels, and provided at their outer endswith plates 26. These plates may be rigid, as shown in Fig. 1, or madeyielding by intervening springs between the plates and the axle, asshown in Fig. 5, the one or the other style being used as the nature ofthe ground renders most desirable. The collars 24E fit snugly upon theaxles 23, so as to rotate therewith by frictional contact. A collar orhub 24: is mounted upon collar 24, and secured in position by aset-screw 24", and is provided with radially-projecting short arms 27,the outer ends of which are adapted to engage with plates 28, projectingoutwardly from short bars 29, pivoted to the longitudinal bars 19, so asto form checks and prevent the said collars and arms 25 from rotating.

The operation of these devices is as follows: As the machine movesforward and the seed feeding and dropping devices are actuated todeposit the seed in the furrows, the plates 28 will be carried forwardby the rods 19, so as to clear the ends of the arms 27 and allow thecollars to rotate and the arms 25 and their plates to also rotate andpress and mark the ground where the seed has been deposited. As thestroke of the rods 19 is quite quick and sudden, the plates 28 on theirreturn movement might strike the arms 27, which move much slower. Toprevent this, the bars 29, which carry said plates, are provided withsprings 30, which throw the said plates upward as they return out of thepath of the arms 25 just released. They will, however,

lie in the path of the next arm 25 as it comes around and, engagingtherewith, will stop movement of the collars until the said bars 1S)"are again actuated.

It will thus be seen that an intermittent rotary motion is given to thecollars and marking-arms, which must be so timed with respect to theseed-dropping mechanism that the n'larking-arms will suecessively pressand mark the earth at the points where the grain is deposited as themachine moves forward. The previous marks made by the marking-arms serveto indicate to the operator when to actuate the seed feeding anddropping devices at the next bout. The collar or hub 24. is adjustableon the collar 24. by means of the set-screw 24), so that the arms 27 maybe adjusted with respect to arms 25 as to insure the markers strikingthe earth at exactly the point where the corn is dropped. Should thecorn become impacted in the cavities 13, so that it will not dischargewhen the said cavities register with the apertures 0, a knocker or lever31 is provided, the outer end of which is elevated by the teeth of thefeedwheel, so that its inner end enters the cavity and forces out theseed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a check-rowcorn-planter, the combination, with the driving-wheel and axle and theseed feeding and dropping devices, of the intermittently-rotatingmarkers carried by the axle and means, substantiallyas described,whereby the markers are released by the movement of the seed-droppingdevices.

2. In a check-row corn-planter, the combination, with the driving-wheelsand axle, of the collar on said axle, the radial markingarms, theadjustable collar or hub, the short radial arms secured thereto, thehorizontal bar, the plate adapted to engage with said short arms pivotedthereto, the transverse bar and pivoted connecting-link, and theoperating-lever, substantially as described.

3. In a check-row corn-planter, an adj usting device which by itsadjustment determines the position of the marker each time the droppingmechanism is actuated as to insure the markers pressing the ground atpoints to correspond with the dropping of the corn, substantially asdescribed.

l. In a check-row corn-planter, the combination of dropping devices withthe intermittent rotating marker and means for releasing the marker atthe instant the corn is dropped.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I h. ve hereuntoatfixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

J AMES R. AYERS.

\Vitnesses:

'1. II. CORY, B. W. DE HAVEN.

